


Whumptober 2020

by kwueenie



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26798584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwueenie/pseuds/kwueenie
Summary: Guess I'll jump on the bandwagon this year. BUT, I'm feeling rebellious.Since I won't do all of them, they wont appear in any order, what so ever.Just a series of h/c for mainly the two maincharacters.Contains a pinch of underlying Miggy.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 84





	1. #30

Thomas slammed the Ferrari into park and leaned his head back against the head rest for just a minute. Subconsciously, his left arm snaked around his midsection as he forced himself to breathe deep a couple of times. The thought of sneaking into the guesthouse was a lot more appealing than that of circling around back, to where his friends were prepping for a barbeque. If he didn’t show, they would be on his behind as soon as the Dobermans alerted them of his return.

At least, if he joined them, he could drink a beer and excuse himself early. They wouldn’t fault him for saying he was tired. But keeping up the charade of being fine while in the company of his two best friends, an ex-operative of the MI6, a detective with the HPD _and_ a cultural curator with an uncanny sense of when someone wasn’t feeling well. That would definitely be hard work. Yeah, no other way about it, he thought and pushed the door open.

As he walked in the direction of the laughter, he straightened up, put a smile on his face and a pep in his step, before he rounded the corner and saw closest friends. Rick and Gordon were throwing a football to each other and talking with TC who was manning the grill. Juliet and Kumu were sitting in the chairs at the table, giving directions to the boys on how to cook the meat and how to throw the ball. TC was the first to lay eyes on Thomas and waved.

“Took you long enough, man! Where’ve you been?” he yelled and flipped another steak as Thomas made his way to the table. A chair would be heaven right about now.

“Just closing the case, that’s all,” he said with a smile. Yeah, he’d definitely closed the case, alright. He’d apprehended the suspect and turned him over to the HPD. No reason to mention, the suspect had given him a love tap with the front bumper of his car or that he’d brushed off the paramedics.

“Yo, Tommy, heads up,” Rick yelled and Thomas instinctively turned and reached for the ball coming right at him. He should get double points for not fumbling the ball, but for a moment he saw nothing but darkening vision with dancing white spots as the ball took the breath away from him. Even his hearing was turned down a notch and the only clear thing he could focus on was his pulse, rushing through his ears.

“… alright?” he suddenly heard Gordon ask and was surprised to see the man had moved closer and had put a hand on his left shoulder. Thankfully, not the right. Rick joined Gordon by his side and TC just a second later. Both Juliet and Kumu were walking over, all five of them with their faces twisted in concern and hesitation. “Magnum, can you hear me?” Gordon asked again, his eyes briefly communicating _something_ with Rick and TC.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I just zoned out for a bit,” Thomas said, still amazed, that he hadn’t just collapsed like a sack of potatoes. “Careful, Gordon, some might say you care,” he said with a grin and gently looped the football to Rick who still looked at him weirdly. “Relax, guys, I’m just tired, no need for that,” he said and gestured to all of them as if indicating the possibility of being mother-henned. This was the real test. If passed, they would, hopefully, just keep a watchful eye on him, instead of fuzzing over him and debating whether he needed to be treated at the hospital.

“Come sit down, Thomas,” Kumu said and very gently put a hand on his back as to guide him to the table. “TC has made some really good hamburgers. When you’ve finished eating, you can hop right to bed,” she said, and Thomas silently thanked her for taking control. Sure, they were still looking at him, suspiciously even, but for the moment he was in the clear. Kumu grabbed a plate and walked to the barbeque as Thomas sat down gently. Juliet joined him, eyes searching.

“What?” he asked, trying to sound amused by adding a grin and a chuckle. He wasn’t actually comfortable under the scrutinizing eyes of Juliet Higgins, but at least the boys had returned to laughing and joking while occupied with the ball and the grill. Juliet shrugged, not exactly saying anything, but not saying nothing either. “Come on, Higgy, I’m fine,” he said when a plate magically appeared before him. Kumu patted him on his good shoulder, but Thomas couldn’t help the miniscule flinch.

“Juliet, will you be a darling and grab the salad from the kitchen? It’s in the fridge,” Kumu said before walking to the cooler with beverages.

“Keep saying that, maybe it’ll become true,” she said and just left. He watched as she walked to the main house, not sure what had just happened. Kumu returned with an opened and chilled bottle of beer and placed it on the table in front of him. She headed back to the grill and replaced TC, so he could join the two others in throwing the football. Thomas wasn’t actually that hungry, so he ended up eating two bites, before pushing the plate away.

The damage done to his body was minor, nothing but bruises, but so far, the pain had only grown since he’d arrived. His right shoulder was throbbing on beat with a few ribs in the same side. The pain even beamed up the side of his neck and down to his hip on the same side. He was also beginning to feel his muscles being chilled and yet somehow, he was feeling a bit warm, even in the shade of the trees and the breeze of the wind. He convinced himself, he just needed a warm shower and a good straight eight hours of sleep. Tomorrow, he would be good as new.

He gingerly got to his feet and had to momentarily grab a hold of the back of the chair as the world suddenly spun on its axis and his senses were dulled again. He saw Juliet come out of the main house with the salad in her hands. Determined to grab a shower and go to bed, he pushed off in the direction of the guesthouse. Oh, how wrong that choice had been. He felt his knee give out from his weight and the fall to the ground felt like an eternity. He somehow ended up on his backside with the toppled chair by his feet.

“Thomas!” Juliet yelled, when she saw him go down. Salad left on the nearest flat surface; she was then racing across the lawn. Her yell of alarm had summoned the others and in seconds, they were all huddling around their almost unconscious friend.

“Talk to me, Tommy,” Rick asked, hesitant to put his hands on his friend. Thomas groaned and wrapped his arm protectively around his middle. Gordon’s phone ringed and he debated momentarily whether to ignore the call from dispatch or not. He stepped away to answer it. TC was kneeling on the grass and had somehow managed to open Thomas’s shirt. The fabric revealed a very colorful bruise on his side, stretching all the way from the ribs under his arm to somewhere beneath his shorts. Around his middle, almost reaching the navel, the bruise was a sickening, dark purple color.

“Are you serious?.. I need EMS at Robin’s Nest… Yes, now!” Gordon said when he saw the actual damage on the private investigator.

“He’s burning up,” Juliet said when she put a hand on his forehead. Thomas had turned a sickly grey and his skin was clammy.

“He was hit by a car a couple of hours ago!” Gordon said and four confused faces turned to him. “One of the officers updated me, figured I should know. He said Magnum had been struck by the suspect’s vehicle and had declined treatment,” the detective explained and could almost see Rick and TC fuming.

“What the hell, TM?” Rick said as he let his hands roam gently over the bruised area, much to Thomas’s discomfort.

“How bad is it?” Juliet asked, her fingers tracing circles in Thomas’s hair.

“Bruising on ribs and hip. Nothing feels broken. But that’s the least of his problems, if all this is internal bleeding,” Rick said and gestured to the darker bruising on the abdomen.

“EMT’s are five minutes out,” Gordon supplied as he looked on his watch.

“I’ll open the gate for them,” Kumu said and hurried across the lawn to the driveway.

“Tommy-boy, stay awake now, alright?” TC said and gently nudged Thomas again.

“No’ bad… b’for’,” Thomas said with a hand flailing at nothing in particular. “S’ tired… n’ cold,” he continued and stilled when Rick caught the hand.

“I know, buddy, but we’ve talked about this before, you need to tell us when something like this happens, right?” Rick said, not wanting to come off as too stern.

“S’ry,” Thomas said and groaned when a wave of pain flowed through him. “Guys… n’t feelin’ good,” he said between pained breaths before his eyes closed, completely on their own volition.

Thomas felt dreamy and floaty the next time he opened his eyes. The pain in his body was a dull ache, but still concentrated on his right side. For a moment, he lay still, not really wanting to move. He remembered what had happened up until he had made contact with the grass on the Nest. He was a bit foggy as to what had happened after, but right now he was content with lying still and feeling almost nothing.

“Good to see you’re awake,” Gordon said and Thomas turned his face to the detective. He was sitting quietly on the chair to his left, a cross word puzzle and a pen resting in his lap. “Thought we lost you for a moment,” the man continued and Thomas closed his eyes with a sigh.

“How bad?” he croaked and looked around the room. He found evidence of more people having camped out there, but right now it was just the two of them.

“Your liver was leaking. Lost a good amount of blood. Also, you’ve got severe bruising on the hip bone along with four ribs,” Gordon replied, not moving from his seat. “Remember what happened?” he asked and Thomas nodded.

“Are they here?” he asked, referring to his friends. He wasn’t quite sure if he felt up for dealing with them yet.

“Yeah, just stretching their legs and getting some coffee… you gave them a good scare. All of us. Doctors said you coded on the table,” Gordon said, his voice a bit huskier than before.

“I’m sorry. Didn’t think it was that bad,” Thomas replied and lifted a hand to rub over his face.

“I know. Get some rest, Magnum, you look like death warmed over,” Gordon said and saw the private investigator close his eyes. He needed no more convincing as he returned his focus to his puzzle.


	2. #6+#7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creative freedom with the medical magic!

Thomas cringed and jerked his restraints again. Juliet kicked and bucked as the electric current surged through her. Their captor was disgustingly delighted, almost turned on by the show.

Thomas was way past threatening, baiting and taunting, and nothing he did seemed to work. Their captor thoroughly enjoyed the show he got from Juliet versus the cattle prod and paid little attention to Thomas.

Juliet was not enjoying the game, however, and she was barely even aware of Thomas or their captor. The only thing circling in her mind was the cattle prod and how it was frequently pushed to a new inch of her body every time.

The four excruciating electrocutions had so far only weakened her to the point where she could no longer hold her head up. She gruelled the next but at the same she welcomed it, hoping it would momentarily knock her out of her misery.

Their captor was hired help, but until the boss came, he enjoyed the entertainment he could get from shocking Juliet again and again. His eyes gleamed when she tensed up and threw her head back violently. The seconds stretched out painfully.

“Stop, please,” Thomas yelled, totally powerless. Raw vulnerability was dripping from his voice. He barely felt the cuffs around his wrists anymore but he could feel the blood coating his hands. If he hadn’t heard his own voice, he would not believe the level of despair and anguish.

Their captor whipped around and the twitches around his eyes made it look like he soaked up Thomas’s emotions. The sneer around his lips made him look like a hungry wolf circling his prey, before going for the throat.

“Why would I? She’s so _hot_ with the electricity. Can’t you see, she’s begging me to do this to her. She’s _enjoying_ the game,” their captor said and Thomas almost felt sick by the words.

“Please, let her go… I’m begging you,” Thomas said as he felt a tear make its way down his cheek. The cuffs had been circled through a ring in the wall. One of those eyes meant for tying up livestock, like horses and cattle. Juliet was in an old wooden chair, rope going around her chest, wrists and legs.

Their captor beamed at his display of emotions, the hurt and the guilt. Juliet was left for a second, barely aware of the conversation near her. She was scared, not something she would actually admit, but she could feel the strain on her heart and wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

“No chance. Maybe the boss will let me keep her. You know, as a souvenir… or payment,” their captor said gleefully, before locking his eyes on Thomas’s. “Who knows what I’ll do to her when she’s all mine,” he purred and licked his lips hungrily.

Thomas briefly closed his eyes as he didn’t want to picture the gruesome, possible future for them. For _her_. He forced himself to find the best memories of him and Juliet and he found a renewed strength surge through him.

Their captor had turned and walked back to Juliet, contemplating where to place the next shock, deliberately teasing her. All the while Thomas had played for time, he had been working on his thumb. To somehow get it dislocated or broken, so he could escape the cuffs.

He heard the quiet snap and felt the pain of a torn ligament at the same time and was for once happy to not be the center of attention. His face, right in the moment, was nothing short of revealing and he almost buckled at the knees.

Their captor let another surge of electricity through Juliet and the sight of that, kept him firmly on his feet. Pain lanced through him, when he slipped the cuff off of the injured hand and through the ring on the wall, so it was just dangling from his other hand.

Their captor didn’t notice anything, before Thomas was on his back with an arm around his neck and they were falling to the ground, sideways, into a sharp edge on the table. The cattle prod fell to the floor out of reach and Thomas took the brunt of the fall.

He almost let go, when the edge cut into his back and his head followed. Definitely a broken rib and concussion. To make matters worse, their captor was clawing at his arms and face before he gradually went limp.

Thomas stayed still for a few seconds, gathering his strength before he effectively broke the neck of their captor and pushed the useless body off of him. He had nothing left for the man and knew he wouldn’t lose sleep over this merciless kill.

The pain from the fall was dulled in comparison to the fire he felt in his hand as he yanked on the thumb. The cuffs were still hanging uselessly from his other hand as he shakily got to his feet and staggered to Juliet.

Her body was limp but he was grateful for the sound of her breath, though it was irregular and shallow. He tipped her head up to see if she was still conscious and he smiled when he saw the hooded eyes try to focus on his.

“Hey, Juliet, ready to get out of here?” he said quietly as he untied the knots, rather gracelessly with one and a half hand. A few times Juliet twitched and it caused her breathing to hitch and Thomas almost felt his heart do summersaults when he didn’t hear her take a breath soon after.

The twitches followed when he pulled her to her feet. Juliet had almost a death grip on each of his arms when her knees gave out beneath her. Thomas went down with her, making sure their descend didn’t hurt either of them.

“I’m sorry,” Juliet breathed out, embarrassed to be this helpless in front of Thomas. It almost broke his heart to hear her say those words but he manned up and hooked his arms around her. One around her back, the other under her knees.

“It’s fine, Juliet. I’ve got you,” he said and clumsily stood up, one leg at a time. “I’ve got you,” he repeated and then walked towards the door. He heard sirens in the distance, no doubt they were coming for them.

Juliet’s head rested on his shoulder and every few seconds or so, she felt her body tense up and twitch, sometimes more violently so than others. Thomas did nothing, but hold her closer. When the twitches were really bad, he would press his lips to her hairline and speak softly and somehow it worked on her muscles.

Outside, police cars were stopping in the red dirt driveway. Gordon was already running to them, relief and worry in his eyes, searching Thomas’s in attempt to assess the situation.

“It’s fine, Gordy. We’re good,” Thomas said and though he could see the confusion in the detectives face, as to why Juliet was being carried, the man continued inside to check out the damage.

The sight in front of Gordon was nothing less than barbaric. Juliet looked to be on the edge of consciousness and Thomas had received a thorough beating, along with his hands covered in dark, crusted blood. But the man said _fine_ and _good_ and sounded reasonably calm about it, so the detective pushed past them.

Juliet’s placed her hand on Thomas’s chest, needing to feel the rhythm of her partner’s heartbeat and the vibrations when he talked. She was no longer scared, she realized, and closed her eyes. Thomas saw her eyes close and he felt a pang of worry run through him.

“Juliet, hey…keep your eyes open for me, sweetie,” he said and jostled her gently but firmly as he walked to the arriving ambulance. Juliet sighed and opened her eyes again as she was placed on a gurney and instantly, she missed the contact.

She didn’t really listen to the conversation above her head, she was too tired to even try to make sense of anything. Her body wouldn’t quite cooperate with her fully, but the twitches had at least lessened.

As if Thomas could hear her quickening pulse, he grabbed her hand and made sure she knew that he wasn’t going anywhere. Her sluggish eyes found his and the look they shared told them everything.

“I’ve got you,” he said again and Juliet let her eyes fall close again. She trusted him to take care of things, to make sure she got home. She just needed to rest her eyes for a moment and then she would be alright.

Thomas kept his fingers closed around Juliet’s as the paramedics checked her out. He had informed them about what had happened when Gordon came up to them, his face still creased with worry and confusion.

“How is she?” he asked and Thomas shrugged. He was beginning to feel the pain now as the adrenaline leveled out. His torn wrists, his hand, the back and his head from the run in with the edge of the table and in general all the soreness from the last few hours.

“She’ll be fine. Pure exhaustion. Muscles couldn’t keep her upright,” Thomas said, giving a short answer for what the paramedics had just reported to him. Gordon looked him over and raised an eyebrow.

“What about you? You look like you’ve been through the wringer,” the detective said and let the genuine care shine in his eyes. Thomas shrugged again, not really in the mood for a conversation.

Today had been one of the hardest days in his life. Not because of the physical pain that was inflicted on him, but because he had to watch Juliet in such pain. And his inability to help had only made it worse.

“I’ll manage,” he said quietly and looked to Juliet again. He wasn’t exactly sure about when, but she had definitely crept under his skin. Sure, he could beg for people to live, had done so on multiple occasions. But actually, shedding tears and having no control over them, that was new.

He zoned out all the hustle around them for a moment and hefted her hand in his, without taking his eyes of her still form. She had been lightly sedated and Thomas could breathe a sigh of relief with every breath he saw her take.

“I’ve got you, Juliet,” he whispered and felt his world go dark.

When Juliet woke up, she was still sore all over, even now, three days later. Luckily, both she and Thomas were back at the nest and recovering. Her twitches had lessened in frequency, but they felt even stronger than the first day and a couple of times, she had been on her knees without so much as a warning.

This had led to Thomas spending almost every free minute in the main house, just to be near her. If not him, then she could count on Rick and TC to come pick her up, however embarrassing, the fall had been. The minutes after these episodes she was too weak to do anymore than turn her head.

Yes, it was scary as hell and every time she wondered if this would be permanent, despite the doctor’s assurances. She knew Thomas was in the main house, she could hear him pottering around in the kitchen. He’d been carefully monitored because of his concussion, but it seemed to have cleared just right, except for the occasional ringing in the ears.

Also, his wrists and left hand were bandaged and Juliet had almost started crying when they guys told her why. She had been so out of it, she hadn’t even thought about it, before she saw the fresh bandages.

Sighing, she flung the covers of her and rolled out of bed. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the warm water in the shower as she pulled of the old t-shirt and stepped out of the shorts. She let the water warm her up and loosen her muscles and when she felt the muscles in her back sizzle, she knew she was going down.

Thomas was carrying a cup of steaming hot coffee in his good hand as he walked down the hallway to Juliet’s bedroom. He knocked carefully and waited patiently.

“Juliet? Are you up, yet? I brought you coffee, just the way you like it,” he called through the door and carefully pushed it open. Seeing as she wasn’t in her bed and the shower was running, he hesitated, not wanting to overstep her personal boundaries anymore than he already was. He left the coffee on the nightstand and walked to the bathroom door.

“Juliet, hey, there’s coffee for you on the night stand. Do you want eggs or chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast?” he asked, trying to listen through the water. When he didn’t get an immediate response, he leaned in and listened closer. “Juliet, hey? Is everything alright?” he asked and felt the worry blossom in his stomach when he absolutely nothing.

“Juliet, I’m coming in, don’t kill me,” he called when he pushed open the door and looked inside. Thoughts of personal boundaries instantly left his mind when his eyes zeroed in on his partner, naked, unconscious and bleeding from the head. He hurried to turn the water off and grabbed towels to at least cover Juliet up, before he knelt in front of her on the wet tiles.

“Juliet, hey, can you open your eyes for me, sweetie?” he urged her, while stroking her towel-covered back. He wasn’t keen on moving her, so he tried to maneuver a washcloth under her head, preferably to put pressure on the bleeding wound he couldn’t see. “Come on, Higgy, work with me, please,” he said and was rewarded with a quiet groan.

“That’s it, hey, are you alright? Can you move you toes, Juliet?” he asked her calmly, when her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him, dazed. The answer was her, trying to sit up, and thankfully, the movement was there. “Don’t panic, Juliet, alright,” he said with a steady hand on her shoulder, when her saw the tears forming in her eyes.

“Come on, let’s get you back to bed,” he said quietly and adjusted the towels to wrap around her body before he lifted her up, like before. “I’ve got you, Juliet.”


	3. #1

Magnum was pounding up the stairs, flying past the numbers indicating what level he was on. Above him, he heard a door being violently kicked open and seconds later fall shut. The footsteps he was chasing was momentarily gone as the suspect ran out on the roof. The footsteps behind him, however, had slowed. Katsumoto was falling behind.

He ran into the door, shouldering it and came out flying, accelerating as he saw the suspect had stopped at the edge. Hesitation was in his eyes as he glanced back at Magnum, before looking back at the building in front of him. It was a little bit shorter, but the gap in between them, invited nothing but an express tour to ground level in the alley below.

The door was pushed open. The suspect jumped. Katsumoto called out. Magnum pushed forward and leapt from the edge. While in the air, his mind sped up and time seemed to slow down. He could feel the nothingness below him. He saw, how the suspect had misjudged the length and how he smacked into the concrete wall a good three feet below the edge.

The suspect was falling. Seventeen floors. Magnum was flying and he realized he’d made the wrong choice even before his chest rammed onto the top of the edge. His legs followed and slammed right into the wall, no mercy. His right knee took the brunt of it and he was sure he felt it crack.

The two-parted awkward landing was enough to bounce him a bit and suddenly, he was hanging from the edge in nothing but his fingers, grappling for purchase while his feet were searching for something to step on. Katsumoto yelled again, but it was drowned out by the sickening _flop_ from the ground. The tell-tale crunch of meat and bones impacted with the ground.

Magnum did not dare look down. Instead he tried to pull himself up, but the struggle was futile. He could hear Katsumoto swear and Magnum found himself agreeing with the detective.

“Hold on, Magnum!”

“Don’t have much of a choice, do I?” Magnum yelled back, breathless, before even thinking. But things looked dire, if Katsumoto had to run down seventeen floors and up another seventeen to get to him. He didn’t get a response but shortly after heard the most welcome sound of a lightweight ladder. Magnum prayed that it would be long enough.

His fingers were slipping and he had to fight to regain his hold, which moved his whole body. The movement was not good for anything but let his finger slip even more. A loud crash sounded to his right and he saw the lightweight ladder was dangerously close to falling off the edge.

It was maneuvered into place and Magnum could hear Katsumoto begin his journey across the alley, seventeen floors up, like some circus trick. Time seemed to pass by endlessly slow and Magnum could feel the straining in his fingers. This was not good. Police cars came into the alley, the red and blue light flickering beneath him. Finally, after was seemed like a lifetime, Katsumoto came running to him and grabbed Magnum’s wrists, just as his fingers were about to give up.

The not-falling part was just doubled, but the efforts of getting back on solid ground was far from over. Katsumoto managed to pull Magnum back up to chest-high on the edge, before reaching for the belt and heave with all his strength. They fell with an ungraceful _oomph_ to the ground and lay there for a moment, both of them recovering and breathing hard.

“That’s it. I’m never letting you work on a case with me again,” Katsumoto said between breaths and Magnum started laughing. It didn’t take long for the laughter to spread and the detective was chuckling, despite the situation.

“Thanks, Gordy,” Magnum said and patted the detective on the shoulder with a shaky hand. His whole arm was shaking from the exertion, he realized with detached curiosity when his knee started to battle for attention. Katsumoto rose to his feet and turned to offer a Magnum a hand.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home,” he said when Magnum grabbed his hand and was hoisted to his feet. Gingerly, he put weight on the bad knee, but the hiss that escaped him, was enough to know it wasn’t an opportunity.

“Ankle?” the detective asked curiously, still supporting the private investigator. Magnum shook his head as he hobbled for a moment.

“Knee… I heard a crunch,” Magnum said and Katsumoto blew out a breath.

“Hospital it is, then. You know, Magnum, it’s a long way down and I’m not carrying you,” Katsumoto said even as he ducked under Magnum’s arm and took most of his weight.

“Come on, Gordy, it could be worse,” Magnum joked when they started moving towards the door in the middle of the roof. The detective seemed to think about it before shaking his head. “At least we’re going down the stairs,” he smiled and Katsumoto sighed heavily, much to Magnum’s amusement.


	4. #3

_Chrunch-chrunch_. One of the scariest sounds in the world. Thomas and Juliet were working a case. They were investigating a breaking and entering, which had somehow turned into the smuggling of artefacts. They had discovered the connection, however weak, to the warehouse, they were sneaking through.

They were walking between tall stacks of crates, creating a bit of a labyrinth for them. Thomas was in the lead, his trusted gun snuggling at the small of his back. Its presence was enough to calm him down, but he still felt how his pulse was quickening. Until the _crunch-crunch_ had sounded behind him. Behind Juliet. The sound was immediately followed by a soft gasp and a grunt, which he clearly identified as his partner.

“You try anything, I’ll blow her head clean off,” a deep voice said. Thomas’s blood chilled and he could feel how the terror wrapped its icy fingers around his spine. He didn’t dare move, but displayed his empty hands at his side. “Turn around, slowly,” the voice commanded and Thomas did, very carefully.

The sight in front of him was even more frightening. Juliet was on her knees, about fifteen feet from him. Also, a shotgun was pointed right at the back of her head. The man was six feet further away. That distance was enough to keep him safe and if Thomas moved, one shot was enough to make both him and Juliet very leaky.

He was big and ugly, looked like a tub of lard that had run straight into a wall. His nose had clearly been busted a few times without being reset and the overall impression Thomas got was _gorilla_. He looked to Juliet, eyes connecting with hers, and she was pissed off. Her hands were tied behind her back, and Thomas briefly wondered what and how all this had happened. To get the drop on Juliet demanded some highly trained ninja-skills.

“Hey, man, we’re just leaving, alright?” Thomas said, refocusing his eyes on their assailant. He did not look pleased and Juliet was still fuming, but her eyes were locked onto Thomas’s. She probably couldn’t turn around without getting pumped full of buckshots.

“How did you find this place?” the man asked, staring daggers into Thomas who shrugged.

“I’m just that good at my job,” he said smugly, trying to lighten the mood with a smile. He wasn’t having it and jerked the shotgun a foot closer to the back of Juliet’s head. Juliet wasn’t having it either, but didn’t say anything. She had been doing most of the job, of course, cross referencing everything she found on her cyber searches.

“Who knows you’re here?” the man asked and Juliet raised her eyebrows in question. To tell the truth could get them killed. To lie could get them killed even faster. To bluff would surely cement their fate. It didn’t matter if the man believed them or not. Thomas relaxed his arms slowly and straitened up while shaking his head. He needed to look confident to pull this off.

“Only about half of the HPD,” Thomas said while inching his hand closer to the gun at the small of his back. Luckily, the man hadn’t noted it and hopefully, Thomas would be faster than the man to pull the trigger. If not, he and Juliet wouldn’t stand a chance.

“You’re lying,” the man yelled and cleared half the space between him and Juliet. The muzzle pushed her head an inch forward and Thomas momentarily forgot how to breathe. Juliet had closed her eyes at the sudden yell and the possibility of certain death right behind her.

“What if I’m not?” Thomas asked, unsure if this line was actually a good idea. “You hear that?” he asked, which made Juliet open her eyes and stare intently at him. The man cocked his head for a second, craning his neck to listen in direction of the door without taking his eyes of Thomas. Thomas gave Juliet a minute nod with his head and he saw the look on her face change. She understood. She was waiting for the inevitable silent command to duck.

“I don’t hear anything,” the man informed him and jerked the shotgun again, making Juliet’s eyes flare. The plan was simple. Get the man to remove the muzzle from the back of Juliet’s head. It would be too risky to take a shot at him, while still aimed at her. Even if you hit dead center in the head, muscles could retract and the trigger could be pulled.

“Exactly,” Thomas said with a slight smile. “You won’t hear anything, you won’t even see it coming, but they’re right outside, preparing to make entry. You’re losing everything and you’re going to prison,” Thomas said quietly, keeping his eyes securely on the big man who visibly enraged behind Juliet.

The plan wasn’t airtight, though. If Thomas managed to get the muzzle of Juliet, then it would be travelling towards him, no doubt. And if he wasn’t fast enough to pull his own weapon and point and aim and shoot, then he would surely be dead, with Juliet following.

“In fact, they are just waiting for my command and if you harm my friend, then I assure you, all hell will be brought down on you,” Thomas said and got the wanted response. It was all over in less than two seconds. The man had roared and flung the shotgun towards him in the same moment as he had grabbed the gun from the small of his back and Juliet had hit the ground flat.

Two shots were fired, then. The second boom right in the echo of the first.

The big tub of lard was staring at nothing with his third eye above the right. He fell to the floor as if someone had cut the strings holding him up. Thomas let go of a heavy breath and moved to Juliet. She had turned around and was starring at the man, while sitting up against one of the crates.

“Juliet? You alright?” he asked and replaced the gun in the waistband of his jeans. She nodded distractedly and turned her head to look at him when he kneeled beside her.

“You’re hit,” she exclaimed and her hand rushed to his chin, thumb gently swiping at the trickle of blood and then looking at the red smear on her finger.

“I’m hit?” Thomas asked, just a second before he felt the multiple stings on the left side of his face and arm. He looked down at the red spots littering his side. “Wood splinters… from the crates. It’s fine,” he said and looked to Juliet again. “I’m just glad you’re alright,” he said and offered her a hand.

“Don’t ever do something like that again,” Juliet said in the almost deafening silence of the shotgun. Everything seemed to be so much purer, even though the air felt heavy. She was pulled to her feet and looked at the man again. “Maybe you should give Detective Katsumoto a call,” she said, but didn’t let go of his hand right away.

“Juliet, are you alright?” Thomas asked again and she nodded quickly before she broke the contact.

“Yes, thank you, just a tad rattled is all,” she said and gave him a soft smile before bending over to pick up the discarded shotgun and shake out the shells. Yeah, she was alright.


	5. (#25)+#26

Ivan was back. And he had brought friends. Too many friends. For the second time, the Nest had been overrun. In broad daylight, no less. Thomas, Rick and TC had been returning to the guesthouse after a relaxing time on the paddleboards out on the calm afternoon water. Just as they had walked to the kitchen all hell broke loose.

Kumu shuffled around the corner, not really clearing it and her face told them something was very wrong. She looked very intently on first Rick, then TC before landing on Thomas.

“Kumu?” he asked and closed the door to the fridge, beers forgotten. Rick was the closest and the second he took a step towards Kumu, a gun appeared next to her head and he halted in his tracks.

“I’m sorry, guys, but if you move, I’ll blow her head off,” Ivan said and stepped out from behind Kumu, gun travelling over the three men. At least five other men stepped into the room then, one of them with a bloodied, broken nose. All of them heavily armed.

“What do you want?” Thomas asked, his voice filled with contempt. Ivan shrugged and stepped closer. Thomas didn’t dare to move. TC was quiet and still as a statue. Rick was almost sizzling.

“I’m just here to collect any and all information on where you stashed Hayek,” he said and shrugged. “And probably kill you, just for the time and money you cost me,” he added with a smile. “And then, I’ll kill all of your friends, starting with the pretty blonde.”

“What have you done with her?” Thomas asked, barely containing himself. It didn’t take more than a second to connect the guy with the bloody nose to that of Juliet’s fist. At least she had been able to fight back. Ivan grinned viciously and waltzed over to him.

“Not much… yet,” he said and sharply punched Thomas in the stomach. The punch came out of nowhere and took the breath from the SEAL as he almost fell to the floor. TC instantly moved towards his friend, only to be halted with a shotgun to the face by one of the other men. Rick was already on his knees, swearing like a sailor, when his hands were being cuffed behind his back.

Thomas saw stars when he was jerked onto his stomach and couldn’t help the yelp of pain when a knee was pushed into the small of his back and his arms violently restrained behind him by one of the goons.

“What the hell, man?” TC growled when he had been forced to the ground by no less than three of the guys. Rick had also voiced his complaints loudly until the butt of a gun hit his cheek and had rendered him silent. A trickle of blood traveled down his chin. Kumu was quiet and only looked on with a disgusted glare. Ivan was back behind her, surely with the gun pointed right into her back.

“Bring them up to the main house. Make sure they’re all tied up. Be careful with the blonde,” Ivan said and his gang heaved the three guys to their feet. They were far from gentle as Thomas, TC, Rick and Kumu were pushed and shoved and dragged into the living room in the main house. A light breeze flowed through the open doors.

Juliet was on her knees, her eye bruised and already swollen. She was also sporting a split lip and a fury look in her eyes. She looked tousled and in pain, slightly hunch over. Three men were guarding her, all of them with their weapons trained at her head.

“Boys,” she said in a way of greeting, when Rick and TC was pushed down on the right side of her. Kumu was seated in one of the armchairs and tied down. Apparently, they didn’t think of her as a threat. Thomas was pushed down on Juliet’s left and he briefly let his eyes roam over his friends, checking their status.

“Hey, Jules, what’s up?” Rick asked her with a carefree smile. It earned him a backhand from the nearest guy. Definitely no kid gloves today.

“Listen, Ivan, I can’t help you with Hayek. The feds swooped him up, even before we got on the plane to take us back home,” Thomas said. No point in lying or bluffing his way out of this.

“Aww, that’s too bad,” Ivan replied and looked to one of the goons behind them. “That means I’ve wasted a trip coming here,” he said, sarcasm rolling of his tongue. He gasped and held a finger in the air. “But wait, that’s right,” he said with faked optimism. “You’re no use to me anyway, you just said so, yourself. But I can still kill all of you,” he said and then aimed his gun at TC.

They all tensed up and heard a small gasp from Kumu. TC, for his part, didn’t react, though everyone could see his muscles tremoring, mirroring the anger in his eyes. The gun travelled to Rick, who looked sternly past the gun, directly into Ivan’s eyes.

“You’re so going down for this,” he said and Ivan smiled and let the gun trail over to Juliet. She said nothing and Ivan took a step closer, consciously teasing them all.

“Stop,” Thomas said. Just the one word was enough to make Ivan smile even more and he turned to face him. Without looking, his moved the gun to point at Kumu and Thomas positively sizzled with fury. Ivan chambered a bullet. “If you hurt any of my friends, I promise you, you’re a dead man,” he said with a voice colder than ice.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be alive to care about it. As you might have figure out, I’ll make your friends watch you die,” Ivan replied with a sneer and moved the gun to push it directly in the center of Thomas’s forehead. “It’ll be quick, I promise,” he said and all of them saw how the finger tightened on the trigger.

Fortunately, every person in the room was so focused on that small movement, that no one seemed to notice the movements in the shadows outside. Thomas was glaring and though he knew any attempt would end in failure he kept thinking through the possibilities.

Next thing they knew, two shot sounded so close to each other, that they were almost undiscernible. Not even a second later, people were yelling and shooting and falling. Somehow Rick had tackled Juliet to the ground, TC was right beside them. Kumu was hiding the best she could in the big armchair as bullets flew through the room.

Just as fast as it had all started, it was over. Every single one of Ivan’s goons were on the floor. Ivan was on the floor, dead eyes staring right past Juliet, Rick and TC. Thomas was on the ground. Back to them and a pool of blood forming beneath his head.

If Juliet could speak, she would have cried out. Rick and TC were quietly looking on, just like her. They didn’t even take their eyes of Thomas’s still form when more people came running into the living room.

“Lou, Adam, secure the scene. Tani, you’re on Kumu. Junes, cut them free. Danny, with me. Quinn, get the EMT’s in here,” McGarrett ordered as the entire Five-0 team came through the open doors. He and Danny instantly kneeled between Thomas and his friends, blocking their view, as the rest of the team did as ordered. TC was the first one to slowly push up from the ground when Junior had released him. Like him, neither Rick or Juliet got any further, too shocked to move.

Thomas had been shot… in the head… They’d all seen it. Right before Ivan had fallen backwards.

“Pulse is strong and steady,” Steve said, loudly enough so that they could all hear. “Keep pressure on that, Danno,” he said and pushed to his feet, relief rolling off his shoulders. Juliet felt the wave of relief going through her and became aware of how badly she was shaking. She didn’t even feel the pain any more.

McGarrett took one look at Ivan and turned to the door towards the kitchen. “Nice shot, Detective,” he said, sounding impressed and Juliet turned her head to see Gordon in the doorway, gun still in his hand, but pointing at the ground. Rick and TC finally got to their feet as they realized what had happened.

Gordon looked just as shocked as the rest of them felt and had only a little presence to nod at the compliment from the team leader.

“He’s alive?” Rick asked, his voice audibly shaken as he finally moved on unsteady legs to fall down right beside Thomas. TC clasped a heavy hand on his shoulder and sat down on the nearest armchair, focusing on his breathing. Juliet had moved to sit next to Danny, looking at Thomas’s still form. She found his hand and wasn’t sure if she could ever let go again.

“Yeah, it’s just a graze, but it’s bleeding pretty bad,” Danny confirmed and scooted sideways so they could see their friend. Kumu was still in her chair and Tani had brought her a glass of water to sip on. Her hands were visibly shaking and she looked paler than Juliet.

“I don’t… understand?.. how… why are you all here?” Juliet asked. She looked like one big question mark as her eyes bounced around all the people in the living room. Gordon finally moved, when the EMT’s wanted past him and he holstered his gun and shook all the emotions off.

They pushed away the people around Thomas and took over the care. One of them even tried to get a look at Juliet but she sharply told him to focus on her friend.

“I actually came because I had some questions for you about a case awhile back. Something felt wrong when I reached the gate and long story short, I snuck in and saw Ivan and his men. That’s when I called McGarrett,” Gordon said, clearly just naming the broad strokes.

Juliet stared off into the nothingness in front of her. She only realized people had moved around her and time had passed, when she noticed Thomas was being wheeled out. She wanted to follow, she really did, but apparently, today was enough for her body.

“Come on, Higgy-baby, there’s a seat with you name on it in the bus. You go with our boy and get yourself checked out, alright,” TC said and she realized he had already pulled her to her feet and were guiding her outside.

Once she was at the hospital and the doctors gave her the good kind of painkillers, she was out like a light and slept for hours. She had managed to acquire some bruised ribs, all from one kick of a steel toed boot. Also, she was the proud owner of a split lip and an impressive shiner, covering almost twenty percent of her face.

She had been even more relieved, when TC had told her, that Thomas had been awake and talking. The doctors were very positive that he would make a full recovery. Since she had been allowed to leave, she had stayed in the awful chair next to Thomas’s bed. She had dozed off a few times and been woken up by a sharp pain in her side every time.

It was early morning, before she noticed Thomas was moving. Rick and TC had preferred their own beds since she wasn’t budging on going home.

“Hey,” she said quietly, when his eyes blinked open and they found her. If not for the circumstances, he looked ridiculous with most of his head wrapped in white bandages.

“You alright?” he croaked and Juliet nodded. She knew she didn’t look like it, but she was better. But she couldn’t hide the pained expression when she moved and Thomas gave her a look. “If you’re not going home to sleep, the least you could do is take care of those ribs,” he said quietly and edged sideways to make room for her on the bed.

She didn’t say anything when she got herself situated, but she was grateful for the relief of the comforting mattress. Neither did she say anything, when an arm wrapped around her shoulder and a throw-blanket was carelessly tossed over her. She didn’t say anything when she snuggled in, closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	6. Alternative #2

The day had started out pretty good, actually, with a new case for the duo of private investigators. And that was about all, before it had gone downhill from there. Literally, even.

The case was that of a missing person and had seemed pretty straight forward, in the beginning. A young woman was looking for her younger brother, a nineteen-year-old, who hadn’t shown up for work for four days at their uncle’s construction site.

All this wasn’t out of the usual – the kid apparently had a habit of disappearing for the day. But today she had been worried, and hired Thomas and Juliet to find him. And they had easily done so, just by tracking the GPS on his phone.

As they had driven to the partly remote area on the North Shore to retrieve him, it had quickly dawned on them, that something was very wrong and, thankfully, Juliet had the mind to send a text with an update Gordon, while Thomas had talked with Rick and TC.

They had parked the car outside a house in a clearing of trees and looked around the area. Multiple tire tracks were all over the ground, all from different models. A blood smeared handprint on the railing had both of them reaching for their guns.

As they walked up to the front door, which was ajar, the pair had shared a look and Juliet headed around back. It had been doomed from the start, and Thomas had a feeling this would end pretty badly, when he snuck inside.

It didn’t take long for him to meet back up with Juliet and together they walked up the stairs. They were almost at the top, when a door opened and a figure bolted right at them.

Neither of the private investigators had been prepared for the head-on collision that had all three of them crashing down the narrow stairs in a tangle of limbs and an echo of grunts.

Their assailant had barely touched the ground, before he was sprinting through the house, out the back door. Thomas had to put an effort into rolling on to his stomach and reaching for his gun, which had fallen out of his hand.

“Higgy?” he asked, when he saw that she was moving a bit slower than himself. It felt like he might have twisted his right ankle and landed too hard on back, probably on a step. Also, the back of his head felt warm and sticky without him even touching it.

“I’m good, just lost my breath. Go after him,” she wheezed and waved him off. With that, Thomas was running full tilt after the shadow that had just grounded them. He had lost some precious few seconds, but he was confident he could catch up.

That was until he jumped out the backdoor and a bullet whizzed right past him before it was lodged in the wood frame of the door behind him. He instinctively dropped to the ground, feeling very exposed behind a plastic lawn chair.

The sound of the shot registered just a moment later and Thomas saw the man across the clearing before he disappeared through the trees. At the same second, he was back up and running.

He had to rely on his hearing when he crashed through the wild greenery of grass and shrubs and leaves and vines, since he could not get a visual of the man. Thorny bushes almost halted him and every other step felt like he might fall flat on his face.

Another shot was fired, luckily the bullet went wide and Thomas corrected his course. Every step had his ankle growling at him and the uneven and gently slanting ground surely didn’t make anything better.

A root caught his shoe and he fell, only just avoiding the ground by crashing into a tree instead with his shoulder. The abrupt stop had him spinning in mid-air and then falling to the ground, before he was up and running a second later.

Apparently, something similar must have happened to the guy he was chasing, because he was suddenly not far behind. Thomas ducked and weaved as more bullets were shot haphazardly after him and when the two of them reached a small clearing in the trees, the gun was empty.

Thomas was barreling straight at the man as he suddenly slid to a halt and turned around. With only eight feet between them, it was only to late that Thomas saw the reason for the sudden stop in motion, as the ground literally vanished behind the man.

A second later, both of them were flying over the edge and tumbling down the steep hill. The fall seemed to go on forever and they were only slowed down by the undergrowth, which was filled with stones of various sizes.

Thomas barely realized the man was not falling with him anymore, all he was focusing on was staying alive as he tumbled head over heels all the way down. At one point he was knocked out and thankfully wasn’t awake for the rest of the fall.

Juliet hadn’t been particularly lucky when they had fallen down the stairs. Granted, she had fallen from the smallest height, but two grown men had very nearly fell on top of her.

She hadn’t been completely honest, before Thomas had taken off, but she knew that if she had, he wouldn’t have continued the chase, something she was desperately regretting now as she moved through the trees, stumbling and wobbling.

She was pretty sure that her left wrist was broken, along with a few of her ribs. Also, she couldn’t forget the dislocated shoulder, however much she tried to repress the pain. Worst of it all was her pounding head and how the very edge of her sight was flickering with grey.

A few times, she had been very close to just let her eyes fall shut and hope that she would wake up in a soft bed with plenty of pain relievers. The only thing that kept her going was the sound of gunshots and the subsequent silence that followed.

“ _Higgins? Are you alright?_ ” Gordon had asked the second after she had called him. She had half a mind to register the concern in his voice and she briefly shook her head of the next wave of dizziness.

“Not quite,” she said, followed by a hiss when her arm was jostled. “Magnum ran after him. I heard shots a few minutes ago, but I don’t know where they are,” she said and grimaced when vines caught around her legs.

“ _HPD’s already on the way. Just stay were you are and I’ll come find you,_ ” the detective said and Juliet was sort of relieved when she ended the call, but that didn’t stop her from continuing through the trees. She had to squint every now and then as the sunlight bothered her.

She began hesitating after a while, thinking she had lost her way a few miles into the wild forest when she finally found a clearing. A gun had been dropped on the ground and she carefully walked to the edge, fearing the worst. She battled the retuning nausea as she looked down.

The steep hill was nothing but dry, yellowish grass and sharp rocks with old, decayed tree trunks scattered all the way down. She estimated the angle of the hill to a whopping thirty degrees on some points, certainly not passable without the proper climbing equipment.

It took a few moments for her to spot the man from the stairs. He was sprawled against a particularly nasty looking sharp rock, his head visibly cracked open and his eyes staring at nothing. Instant death, she noted and guessed the fall to be somewhere around thirty feet.

Her breath hitched when her eyes fell on the easily recognizable form of her partner a good forty yards down the hill, flat on his stomach and not moving. Juliet looked around, searching for a way down there, but eventually realized it wasn’t a possibility in her current state.

She found her phone again and dialed Gordon, thanking her lucky stars for the two bars of service. She stepped closer to the edge again, wanting to take a closer look. She was hoping she could see any damage or maybe just some slight movement.

“ _Five minutes, Higgins,_ ” Gordon said as soon as the line connected. Juliet didn’t know what to say. How to find the words. She wasn’t even sure if Thomas was still alive. “ _Juliet?_ ” the detective asked, a whole new level of concern radiating through the speaker of the phone.

“They fell down… suspect’s dead. I don’t… Thomas, he… I can’t get down there… he’s not… moving,” she finally mumbled and plopped gracelessly down on her butt, when her legs finally gave way underneath her.

“ _Two minutes, Higgins. Where are you?_ ” he asked and somehow managed to sound incredibly calm and collected. The very much opposite of how Juliet felt right now. She looked around, trying to find an answer to his question.

“Out back. Due east. A couple of miles, I think,” she said and looked at the trees where she had emerged. “There’s no trail,” she added and looked at her torn pants. All these tiny cuts would sting like crazy next time she would shower.

“ _Alright, good. Stay there. I’ll call for a medevac,_ ” Gordon said and Juliet ended the call without acknowledging his answer. She put the phone on the dry grass next to her and fought to get back onto her feet and take another look at Thomas.

His fall looked to have been halted by a few young saplings almost as thick as her wrists. Both his shirt and pants were torn to bits and she was pretty sure that she could see blood at some of the torn hems.

However grim the sight was, she couldn’t spot anything that looked like broken bones, not from this distance. Also, she couldn’t see his face and she had no idea if he was even alive. Which was the most terrifying thought of them all.

“Thomas?” she called, only to hear herself whisper his name before clearing her throat and trying again. “Magnum?” she managed to yell out, much to the discomfort of her ribs. Yeah, they definitely felt broken.

In the distance, she heard the whopping sounds of helicopter blades parting the air and seconds later she figured it was powering down. It must have been TC and Rick. Help was close. They would be here soon enough, he thought as she sat down again, leaning on a bare rock.

The boys would take care of everything, she trusted them. Those were her last thoughts, as her eyes slowly closed and her head fell forward. A moment later, she was completely out, the pain having finally been enough for her body.

The flight hadn’t taken long and TC turned off the engine the same moment as Gordon parked his car along with a few HPD squad cars. Rick was out and running towards the detective just a moment before TC.

“What are we looking at?” Rick asked, almost shouting over the noise of the slowing blades. TC certainly didn’t like the look on the detective’s face. Something was wrong, and he knew Rick thought so too.

“Suspect’s dead. He fell down a hill with Magnum. Higgins doesn’t sound too good. Medevac’s on the way. Around back, straight east,” Gordon said and the three of them set off on a quick jog.

Grumbling and swearing out loud, the three of them fought to get through the heavy greenery someone else clearly had passed before. They found several strips of clothing, shells from a .38 and several footprints, along with a few handprints, where someone had obviously fallen down.

“I see her,” TC called out when he caught a glance of Juliet’s plum colored shirt. “Jules?” he called out, but didn’t get a response. Somehow, he had ended up taking the lead, the two smaller men following close in his footsteps.

As the three of them pushed through the last dense bush, Rick almost tripped as they all huddled around the still form of Juliet Higgins. Gordon was the one to confirm a pulse underneath her chin, which was good enough for now.

TC and Rick turned their attention to the edge, almost fearing what they would see. Rick let out a slow, impressed whistle and scrunched up his face. TC ran both hands over his face and all the way to his neck.

“Shit,” he stated quietly as he took it all in.

“How the hell are we going down there?” TC asked and Gordon spoke from Juliet’s side.

“You’re not. It’s too dangerous,” the detective said and Rick was about to complain before the detective stopped him. “I know. But we need both of them on that medevac,” he explained. The underlying words of _we don’t have the time or the resources for you to get hurt, too_ , was clearly visible.

“We can’t just do nothing, man,” TC said and took another look at his brother, so far down that he almost got dizzy. That’s great, being a pilot and all, but he knew it wasn’t because of the height.

“For now, you’ll have to,” Gordon said as they all heard the approach of a fast helicopter. Gordon was in direct contact with the pilot via his radio and it didn’t take long for the team to collect first Juliet and then Thomas.

TC, Rick and Gordon looked on, as Thomas was secured to a backboard in a basket and hoisted upwards, just like they had done with Juliet a few minutes ago. As soon as the helicopter took off, banking a hard left, the three men were moving back through the trees, this time even faster.

The pilot briefly reported, that Thomas was still alive, but both of them were deemed critical and they would be at King’s in less than seven minutes. The three of them headed straight for TC’s helicopter, none of them even asking the question.

Three and a half hours later, they had all gotten situated in the shared room, with Thomas at the door and Juliet by the window. Gordon had taken a seat in the corner near the door, while Rick had dragged a plastic chair all the way to the window. TC was lounging in the padded recliner, shifting every so often.

Both Thomas and Juliet had been extremely lucky, though both of them had required various surgeries. Juliet had suffered a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder on her left, along with two broken ribs and three bruised. Also, a moderate concussion and several cuts and various bruises.

Thomas on the other hand, was sporting a sprained ankle and a hairline fracture on his right femur, along with several bruised and broken ribs, severe concussion and some minor internal bleeding. Both would be black and blue all over for at least a month.

The two of them hadn’t woken up yet and the waiting game had only just begun. TC, Rick and Gordon would take turns getting coffee and sandwiches from the cafeteria on the ground floor, but neither seemed all that appetizing when two of your friends had just barely escaped death.

Kumu joined them for a few hours in the evening, before she had to go home and take care of the dogs. Shammy also passed by and spent some time with them, otherwise TC, Rick and Gordon were left for themselves, their only company being themselves and the various doctors and nurses.

They didn’t talk much and some time after midnight, both Rick and TC were softly snoring while Gordon tried to doze off every other minute. Every little sound had him back at being completely awake and even in the night, the hospital was buzzing quietly with life.

Juliet was absolutely positive she was in hell, even before her mind could form the thought. All of her left side was absolutely throbbing with every beat of her heart. She felt soothing, warm and very careful hands on her right shoulder, her knee and a very promising and grounding hand close around her own.

With the help from the contact she was able to concentrate on pushing the pain away and gradually open her eyes as the very tender voice asked her to. The room was quite dark and she had to blink a few times before the figures before got any close to resemble her friends.

“Hey, Jules, feeling better?” Rick asked when she registered the nurse on the other side, fiddling with needles and small vials. She subconsciously deduced that she had received more pain relievers and then nodded vaguely, answering Rick’s question, before she had to briefly rest her eyes again.

“Time?” she croaked as she once again looked around and registered the dark window. Gordon was perched on the edge of the bed, still with a hand on her knee. Rick was by har shoulder and TC was now gently rubbing circles on the back of her right hand. She didn’t mind them one bit.

“2 AM, you damn near scared the crap out of us, Higgy-baby,” TC said with a smile and a very relieved sigh.

“Don’t worry about it, Jules, that adrenaline kick was far better than the coffee they have here,” Rick joked and squeezed her shoulder slightly. She let her eyes close again briefly when the memories of the day came right back at her, possibly with a vengeance.

“Thomas?” she then asked and all three of them looked to her left, but Gordon was the one who spoke.

“Right there. Long recovery, but doctors says he’ll be fine. Just like you,” the detective said and despite Juliet’s very confused mind, she could see the relief in his face. She glanced at TC and Rick and saw how exhausted all of them looked.

“Get some rest, Juliet,” Gordon said but she was already ahead of him and barely caught what he said before she had slipped into an easy, dreamless sleep, surrounded by her trusted boys. They would take care of everything.

Thomas was in and out of a vague sort of awareness before he finally got a hold of his senses. Sound and smell told him he was in the hospital. Feeling told him he was badly hurt and would probably be incapable of doing a lot of different things on his own in the near future.

“I think, he’s waking up,” TC said softly, followed by the quiet noises of shuffling and moving around. “Hey, man, you with us?” the pilot asked once a hand landed on his shoulder. Thomas let his head roll to the side, encouraged by the gentle touch of his friend.

“Yeah, I think he’s coming around,” Rick voiced from the other side and Thomas shifted again to follow the sound.

“How can you tell? He’s been moving around for hours,” Gordon asked and Thomas was just a little bit surprised to hear the detective there as well.

“He’s frowning… and he’s grabbing the blanket,” Rick explained having been through a lot of this before. Gordon emitted a sort of agreeing hum and Thomas would have smiled if he had the strength. He did find some left over power to form a couple of words.

“Not frowning,” he mumbled and was happy to hear the three men chuckle with relief. It was the best sound in the world, no question. Just one thing was absent. “Juliet?” he asked, not surprised when it came out at barely a huff of breath.

“She’s sleeping, so be quiet. Doctors put her on the good stuff, so she’s high as a kite and absolutely hilarious,” Rick replied. Thomas pried his eyes open, wanting to see for himself. His vision was blurred but with a few blinks, it cleared up.

“How bad?” he then asked, when he could finally make out the seeping form of Juliet to his right, between Rick and Gordon. He didn’t register the look the three of them shared as his eyes briefly closed on their own accord.

“Shoulder, wrist, a few ribs and a concussion,” TC then replied a bit more somberly.

“Do you remember what happened?” Gordon asked. A heavily drugged Juliet hadn’t been able to give a clear answer on that, so they were still very unsure as to what had happened.

Thomas thought back and nodded cautiously before speaking. He didn’t have the energy to give them all the details, but a quick recap should definitely be possible. He looked at Juliet again before he found his words.

“Some guy rammed us down the stairs and took off into the trees. I followed, but couldn’t get a shot off and by the time he ran out of bullets we were in the clearing and I didn’t have time to stop. Last thing I remember, was rolling down the hill forever,” Thomas said.

Both TC, Rick and Gordon were staring at him with confusion before looking to Juliet. Thomas felt the need to keep his eyes on her again and was equally confused by the looks on his friends.

“What is it?” he asked and looked at the three of them in turn.

“She must’ve gotten injured when falling down the stairs, then,” Gordon said, sounding slightly impressed.

“And hiked almost three miles through the trees, before she collapsed,” Rick continued, equally stunned.

“With those injuries? Man, that’s some high level badassery,” TC commented and Thomas got the gist of what they where talking about. He suddenly felt very bad for using her to soften his landing, even though it wasn’t intentionally.

It didn’t take long before his eyes were drifting shut again and he was completely dead to the world for another few hours. Despite the exhaustion he felt, he was still haunted by dreams, most of them featuring Juliet and how he would stand helplessly rooted to the ground when she fell down a hill.

A week later, both of them were adjusting to being partially, and temporarily, crippled. Thomas had moved into one of the eight guest rooms in the main house and had gotten pretty good at staggering around on the crutches.

Juliet had hardly lifted anything heavier than a glass of water and had barely gotten any work done on the estate. Both of them were trapping down on the pain relievers, trying to manage on over-the-counter-medicine.

Juliet had just poured a cup of coffee when Thomas hobbled into the kitchen with groggy eyes and hair sticking up at all angles. Wordlessly he got himself situated on one of the stools and lifted his leg to rest on another.

Juliet pushed the coffee across the table and reached for another cup to pour again. They had found a somewhat easy routine with a lot of help from Kumu and the boys, but this morning was the first time they had actually managed to be alone at the estate.

“I never got to thank you,” Thomas said after a mouthful of coffee and a period of comfortable silence. Juliet eyed him, not actually having the mental capacity, yet, to figure out what he was talking about. Trying to sleep while in pain would apparently slow down your mind until the consumption of caffeine.

“No need,” she said quietly and gave him a soft smile. “You would have done the same for me,” she added and didn’t need to see him nod to know it was nothing but the truth. Silence stretched between them again as they sipped on their coffee.

“I also wanted to apologize for getting you hurt,” he said and caught her eyes. The sheer gravity they conveyed was enough to make Juliet hesitate before replying.

“It wasn’t your fault, Magnum,” she said and sighed. “I knew the risks entailed in working as a private investigator, when I agreed to be your partner,” she said and managed half a shrug. “That we just happened to be pummeled down a flight of stairs by a mad man, was just bad luck,” she reasoned.

“I still feel bad about crushing you… and then leaving you alone,” Thomas admitted. Juliet waved him off along with a shake of her head.

“I told you, I was fine, so that was all on me,” she said and hesitated. “If I hadn’t, you probably wouldn’t have taken that swan dive off of a cliff,” she said, partly trying for a smile while also being serious.

“Hey, now, it was a very elegant tackle down a hill,” he said while smiling back at her.

He still wasn’t exactly sure when and how it had happened, but he had definitely fallen for his partner.


End file.
